Ashley Westwood’s Bengaluru FC comes up against Alex Gomez’s Kitchee SC in the Round of 16 tie of the 2016 AFC Cup at the Mong Kok Stadium in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong based side topped their group and have cruised their way into the Round of 16 phase. On the other hand, Bengaluru have had a decent campaign finishing 2nd in the group behind defending champions Darul Ta’zim of Malaysia.
Also Read: Kitchee SC vs Bengaluru FC: Live Updates from the AFC Cup 2016 Round of 16 Match
This is a huge game for Bengaluru and Indian football because they are the only Indian team left in the AFC Cup, with the current Federation Cup winners, Mohun Bagan getting knocked out in extra-time against Tampines Rovers.
The Indian side will be without midfielder Chekiyot Kizhakkeveettil Vineeth, who misses out due to an injured shoulder while striker Kim Song-yong misses out due to a visa issue.
Also Read: Bengaluru take on Kitchee with eye on AFC Cup quarters
Bengaluru are also coming off a run of bad form, as they getting knocked out of the Federation club by relegated club Aizawl FC and also losing four out of their last five games in all competitions. They also lost their last game of the group stages in the AFC Cup at the hands of Johor Darul Ta’zim, who are current champions of the cup.
Ashley Westwood is serving a four-match touchline suspension; thus, he will be missing out on this match. On behalf of him, Assistant coach Matthew Holland said: “We’re up against a very tough team in Kitchee who have done well in the group stages but so have we, getting wins in the middle. It’s a round of 16 game which is always going to be tricky but we are confident because we always prepare well. It’s going to be an exciting game.”
He added: “Even though we lost to Johor in our last AFC Cup, we still have confidence we can beat Kitchee on Wednesday.”
“Kitchee has many good local players and foreign players, too, from the likes of Spain and Korea Republic so it will be a difficult match.
“We will have to play at our maximum capability if we want to make it to the quarter-finals.”
The Hong Kong based team, on the other hand, have hit top form having won seven of their last eight games in all competitions. Kitchee finished second on the table behind Eastern SC, missing out by just a point.
This club has also been nicknamed Hong Kong’s Barcelona due to their neat possession play, scoring goals at will. Kitchee have reached the knockout phase of the AFC Cup in each of their last four participations, never winning it.
Kitchee will be hoping that their winger Rufino Del Burgo, who also happens to be the top scorer of the tournament will be looking to add to his tally. Kitchee’s forward lineup includes Christian Kwesi as striker and Jorge Tarres Paramo on the right wing.
On being asked about Bengaluru, manager Alex Chu said: "In the Round of 16, there are no differences between any of the teams – they are all tough opponents.” He added: “JSW Bengaluru is a well-organised team and will be difficult to beat. But we will try our best and we will have confidence in our ability to win this match."
Kitchee vs Bengaluru FC, 2016 AFC Cup: Live Streaming Details
Television Channel: Star Sports 4 & Star Sports HD 4
Online Stream: LiveSport.TV
Date: 25 May 2016
Time: 5:30 PM (IST)
Venue: Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong.
